The natural world. Looking pretty for 3.5b years.

On Everest, the World's Highest BASE Jump

Everest was once so daunting that, to get to the top, you had to be willing to lose a few toes, and maybe a few friends. And while it can still be dangerous, it's also turned into a playground, where

Russian BASE jumper Valery Rozov jumped from an Everest shoulder, 23,688 feet above sea level, in what is believed to be the highest BASE jump in history.

It's just getting harder to do impressive stuff these days. It's not enough to conquer great mountains -- you have to add extra elements of danger. If Columbus had sailed the Atlantic today, he would have to do with an extra degree of difficulty -- on a raft made of Coke cans, say, or blindfolded.